6  From the day the Moonlight Amphitheatre hosted its first musical performance nearly 35 years ago, North County residents have been hauling in overstuffed picnic baskets for preshow dining on the outdoor Vista theater’s lawn.

For many years, prix-fixe dinners have also been offered on Moonlight’s shaded Artisan Cafe for diners who want a more substantial meal, as well as a comfortable table and chair on which to enjoy it. Now, Moonlight has gone gourmet, thanks to ChefDK Catering, which took over Moonlight’s dining concessions two years ago.

Yes, Moonlight-goers can still find the typical nachos, popcorn and candy at th snack bar windows. But ChefDK has gradually introduced higher-quality, homemade items on its takeout and sit-down menus.

Want a hot dog? Moonlight’s is a high-quality dog served in a pretzel bun. There’s also a smoked chicken salad sandwich and a pulled pork barbecue sandwich that had earned a devoted following.

At the sit-down cafe, where advance reservations are required, diners can choose from multiple options on a prix-fixe three-course menu that’s $30, plus tax and tip. Before a performance of “Mary Poppins” last week, we sampled many of the dishes coming out of the kitchen and found the food as good as you’d find in a quality restaurant. Table décor includes tablecloths, cloth napkins and real china and silverware (no plastic picnic ware).

ChefDK Catering is run by chef Dave Krohn of Carlsbad, who said he likes serving dishes with simple, high-quality ingredients chock full of “flavor, flavor, flavor.” Many of the ingredients on the Artisan Cafe’s menu are sourced locally, including T&H Prime Meats and Sausage in San Marcos, wines from Vista’s 50 Barrels, cookies from Foodie Amor All Natural Bakery in Encinitas and fresh-baked burger buns from Sadie Rose in San Diego. He also serves craft beers from many North County breweries.

The menu at Moonlight’s Artisan Cafe was developed by Chef DK’s executive chef Sean Kirkpatrick, who for the past several years has cooked his way around several North County kitchens, most recently at Truluck’s Seafood, Steak & Crab House in La Jolla.

Kirkpatrick said he likes to take classic dishes and give them his own twist with using farm-fresh, seasonal ingredients.

One of the menu’s most unique starters is Kirkpatrick’s strawberry/watermelon soup, a chilled summer fruit purée prepared with a vegetable stock and springs of fresh mint. The Caprese Flat Bread is another fine appetizer course, with fresh heirloom tomatoes and smoked mozzarella cheese served with crisp wedges of stone-baked, peppery flat bread.

One of the restaurant’s most popular entrees si the pork osso bucco, slow-braised for three hours and served with a smoky, roasted tomato purée and homemade cream corn.

For something really different, try the hearty portion of Okinawa sweet potato gnocchi. These violet-hued, featherlight wheat-free pillows of pasta are served in a delicious brown butter sage cream sauce with an accompaniment of tender-crisp sugar snap peas.

Another hit is the Fifty Barrels Chicken, a juicy pan-seared chicken breast served with Parmesan mashed potatoes and a wonderfully rich red wine reduction sauce made with petite syrah wine from Vista’s 50 Barrels winery. It’s a home run.

And for seafood lovers the California Cioppino seafood stew comes with shrimp, mussels and squid in a light, fragrant vegetable-based broth of tomato, white wine, tarragon and sage.

Like the starter and entree courses, diners can choose from five different options for dessert. All of them sounded good, so choosing just a couple was a hardship.

But a favorite with diners and Moonlight staff alike is the Milk and Cookies, a dollop of Nutella mousse pressed between two delicate almond tuille cookies served with an Amaretto milkshake that you’ll want to try and re-create at home because it’s so good.

Because of a state law change, Moonlight diners haven’t been able to bring in their own bottles of wine for the past two years. No worries, ChefDK sells reasonably priced wines by the glass and bottle both from its snack bar windows and at the Artisan Cafe. Wines by the glass (from vintners including La Terre, Beringer, CK Mondavi and Bolla) are reasonably priced from $3.75 to $5.25, or you can splurge on a flute of sparkling Prosecco for $7.50.

Because the kitchen at Artisan Cafe is so small, ChefDK requires reservations so they can preplan service. Reservations can be made by calling (760) 828-0596. A complete menu can be found by clicking here. Dinner seating begins at 6 p.m.

Moonlight Amphitheatre is in Brengle Terrace Park, 1200 Vale Terrace Drive in Vista. The company’s “Mary Poppins” production runs through Saturday. Next up is “My Fair Lady,” running Aug. 13-30, followed by “Catch Me If You Can,” running Sept. 10-27.